Since laptops linked with mobile phones bring voice mail, e-mail and faxes into the car, the car has become a virtual office on wheels. It has been a home on wheels for some time now. According to the October 30, 1998 issue of the St. Petersburg Times, getting dressed, flossing, shaving and putting on make up are all a part of a typical morning drive. 15,000 people responding to a Pennzoil survey revealed the following statistics. 46 percent admitted to reading during the drive. About 25 percent admitted to changing clothes. 45 percent of the women admitted to applying make up, and 17 percent of the men said they had tied their ties.
Are people really that impatient or time stressed that they feel compelled to risk their lives by using driving time for things other than driving? I have suggested listening to educational tapes, using a pocket recorder and even making phone calls with a hands free cellular while on the highway. But there seems to be no end to what people will do while driving. Someone was spotted eating a bowl of cereal!
When used responsibly, car phones are a great time saver. Unfortunately many people go overboard. Witness the following incident reported in the February 17, 1997 issue of the St. Petersburg Times: “The guy was yellin’ into the telephone, comes flyin’ through the intersection and runs right into the back of this car that was slowing down to turn into our lot. The guy never got off the phone! He got out of his car, still talking, and stayed on the phone another half hour while the whole police investigation was going on. Police were taking their reports; he was still talking on the phone.”[Eye witness report]
Although there are conflicting reports as to the safety hazard presented by the use of cellular phones in the car, the Automobile Association is adamant: “Conducting a business deal by phone, while driving a car, may further your career, but it could also shorten your life.”
A study conducted by the AAA Foundation back in 1992 showed that holding a complex conversation via cellular increases the chance that you’ll be distracted by about 30%. It was reported that one police department on Long Island in New York was issuing tickets to drivers who used a car phone while the car was in motion.
The cellular phone companies issue a manual, containing safety precautions, along with their equipment. With the increase in cellular phones, it is imperative that these precautions be heeded. Saving time is not as important as saving a life.
Car manufacturers seem to be cooperating with those who want a mobile lifestyle by designing cars to be more food friendly and with lots of convenient – and distracting – extra features. I read while cruising the internet that a few car manufacturers are even planning to include e-mail systems on the dashboard.
There’s no doubt that we spend a lot of time in our cars. According to author Jeffrey P. Davidson, the average American commutes 157,589 miles to work during his or her lifetime. That’s a lot of time. But let’s face it, travelling is a necessity of life. If you can work from home, take public transportation or participate in car pools, great Perhaps you can reduce car time by flexible hours, alternate routes or better planning. And there’s nothing wrong with combining travel with non-distracting activities. But don’t feel compelled to move the kitchen and the office into your car. If you feel guilty about not spending all your driving time on work-related activities, remind yourself that driving is a work-related activity.
It’s time we stopped associating activity with effectiveness. The purpose of time management is not to cram as many activities as possible into a unit of time, but rather to manage ourselves better within our personal time constraints. This means we must evaluate those activities, eliminate the non-essential ones and concentrate on those that will have the greatest impact on our personal and professional success. This does not involve making telephone calls while weaving in and out of traffic, any more than it involves installing laptops into hospital beds in intensive care units. It does involve planning and more flexible scheduling so we are not confronted with the choice of either skipping breakfast or eating on the run.
The bible tells us in Ecclesiastes that “there is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven.” This does not mean that we are the ones who have to do everything. Nor does it mean that the time for everything is while driving a car.
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Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Dont be DRIVEN JUST DRIVE
Timelapse Series “The Commute”
